The Board of Directors was presented with and accepted

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1 Volume 16 October 2003 Number 10 T H I S M O N T H ' S G U E S T S P E A K E R Justin Congdon Emeritus at University of Georgia Demographics of aging in Blanding s and painted turtles 7:15 PM Tuesday, October 21st Arizona Game and Fish Department Office 555 North Greasewood Road (between Speedway and Anklam, west of Pima Community College.) Justin Congdon is a Professor Emeritus at University of Georgia. Justin earned an associate s degree at Victor Valley College (1965), a bachelor of science (1968) and a master of science (1971) from California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, and a Ph.D. degree (1977) from Arizona State University. For many years he was a senior research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Justin developed strong programs at SREL in physiological ecology and ecotoxicology. Justin also has the largest Mercury program of any researcher at SREL to date he has a 40 convertible, a 46 sedan, a 47 coupe, a 49 coupe and a 53 sedan. Justin has continued a long-term study of turtles at the University of Michigan s E.S. George Reserve. Owen Sexton marked 913 painted turtles and 92 Blanding s turtles on the ESGR between From Henry Wilbur marked approximately 600 painted turtles, 60 Blanding s turtles, and 12 common snapping turtles on the ESGR. From , Donald Tinkle and Justin marked 1,216 painted turtles, 281 Blanding s turtles, and 356 snapping turtles. During the period from , the study was continued by Justin Congdon and an additional 2,687 painted turtles, 469 Blanding s turtles, and 1,291 snapping turtles were marked on the ESGR. Between and 95 painted turtles, and 21 and 37 Blanding s turtles were recaptured that had been marked by Sexton and Wilbur, respectively. From this and much other work, Justin has authored at least 70 articles in scientific journals and 11 book chapters, and he has participated in 10 scientific symposia, four of which he organized Slate of Candidates The Board of Directors was presented with and accepted the Slate of Candidates for the November elections. The following people are on the Officer s slate: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Taylor Edwards Eric Stitt Robert Bezy Marty Tuegel Nominees for Directors are (three openings): Roy Averill-Murray, Young Cage, Paul Condon, Monique Imberski, and Roger Repp. Other nominations may be submitted directly to the Board by 10 or more members with the consent of the candidate, and must be received at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting (received November 4, 2003 for the November 18 th Annual Meeting). Thanks to the Nominating Committee, Cristina A. Jones (chair), Don E. Swann and Craig S. Ivanyi, for putting together an excellent slate of candidates. Please note the Annual Meeting and Election will take place on November 18, 2003 N E X T M O N T H ' S G U E S T S P E A K E R Emily Taylor Reproductive Ecology of the Western-Diamondbacked Rattlesnake in Central Arizona Tuesday, November 18th Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:15PM SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

2 F E A T U R E A R T I C L E Distribution, Ecology, and Management Recommendations for the Narrow-headed Garter Snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) in Oak Creek, Arizona- part I of II Adapted from an unpublished final report to Arizona Game and Fish Department in fulfillment of Heritage Grant I99007 Erika M. Nowak and Manuel A. Santana-Bendix, Northern Arizona University, USGS Colorado Plateau Field Station Figure 1. Location of 11 survey areas (indicated by circles and named) for Thamnophis rufipunctatus along Oak Creek, Arizona. Surveys were conducted from 1999 to Introduction The narrow-headed garter snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) is found in permanent drainages of the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains of Arizona and New Mexico and in the Sierra Madre Occidental range of Mexico (Tanner 1990, Rossman et al. 1996). It is threatened over much of its range due to the loss of habitat from development, modification, and siltation of creekside microhabitats, the disappearance of native fish which appear to make up its primary diet, the introduction of non-native predators (e.g. fish and bullfrogs), and human predation (Rosen and Schwalbe 1988, Rossman et al. 1996, C. Painter, pers. comm.). The narrow-headed garter snake is considered a species of special concern in Arizona (Arizona Game and Fish Department in prep.) and was formerly listed under Category 2 of the Endangered Species Act. Oak Creek in north-central Arizona (originating north of Sedona and terminating near Cottonwood) has historically contained one of the largest populations of this species in the United States (Rosen and Schwalbe 1988, Fowlie 1965). However, after intensive surveys for narrow-headed garter snakes in Oak Creek from 1985 to 1988 by Phil Rosen and Cecil Schwalbe (1988), it was estimated that the creek contained fewer than 1000 subadults and adults. Since those surveys, no further research had been conducted on the Oak Creek populations of narrowheaded garter snakes. However, biologists and others who looked for this species over the past decade reported that it was increasingly difficult to find in Oak Creek Canyon (J. O Reilly, L. Luedecker, and R. Gasaway, pers. comm.). In 1999, we began a three-year study of the status, distribution, potential and actual prey, and habitat use of narrowheaded garter snakes in Oak Creek. Methods Oak Creek is located in northcentral Arizona, cutting through the Mogollon Rim in Coconino County near Sedona, and terminating at the Verde River 86 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003

3 near Cottonwood in Yavapai County. The Creek is divided into two main physiographic areas: Oak Creek Canyon, from approximately 4300 to 5700 feet elevation; and the lower section south and west of the canyon, ending at approximately 3160 feet elevation. Our primary method of detecting narrow-headed garter snakes was a form of visual encounter survey described by Crump and Scott (1994). We systematically walked time-recorded transects (each approximately one kilometer long) in eleven areas along Oak Creek and its tributaries one to two times a year between June and September Each survey consisted of at least two people wading or walking along the edge of the creek, looking for the snakes basking on boulders, in rock crevices, on vegetation, or foraging in shallow water. We focused special effort on resurveying the area between Grasshopper Point and Midgley Bridge (approximately two km in length). We attempted to assess population trends of narrow-headed garter snakes in Oak Creek since Rosen and Schwalbe s (1988) surveys by replicating their methods as closely as possible, following detailed discussions with Phil Rosen. We conducted at least three walking surveys from Grasshopper Point to Midgley Bridge between June and August each year. We also installed five to ten fabric or wire mesh minnow traps in each of four one-km locations along both banks of Oak Creek. Trapping occurred twice a month from June to August over four days per session. These traps were also used to detect potential prey species (primarily fish) available to the snakes. We compared this capture information to that obtained by regurgitating prey from the snakes to determine prey use versus availability. To ensure permanent individual identification of adult and subadult snakes, we injected unique 11 to 12 mm passive integrated microchip transponder (PIT) tags following the methods of Fagerstone and Johns (1987). Due to the potential for infections (J. O Reilly and T. Hoffnagle, pers. comm.), we decided against using scale-clipping as a permanent identification method. We also sealed the injection site with veterinary skin glue to minimize potential infections. We scanned all snakes captured to determine if they had been previously tagged. Neonates were given an identifying paint mark on their backs to permit short-term identification, as they were judged too small for PIT-tagging. Lastly, we described habitat conditions along fivemeter wide plots running perpendicular from the middle of Oak Creek and extending five m 2 onto either the randomly-selected right or left bank (after McMahon et al and Reinert 1993). We recorded 22 biotic and abiotic habitat variables for each plot that we felt could be important to the snakes. Two types of habitat plots were designated and compared: snake plots corresponded to those locations where one or more snakes where observed and/or captured; and random plots corresponded to five randomly selected points in each of the 11 surveyed locations along the creek. If one of the habitat variables measured was of particular importance for the snakes, that particular variable would be present more often in snake plots than with random plots. As well, the higher or lower relative abundance of the snakes in one particular locality may have been an indication of a habitat variable that has particular importance for the snakes. To sort out which habitat variables were most important, we first performed a cluster analysis using the 22 habitat variables in order to establish the ecological resemblance between the eleven study sites (Ludwig and Reynolds 1988). Habitat variables within the resulting groups were then compared against each other using non-parametric procedures (e.g. Fisher Exact, Wilcoxon-Mann- Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests, Sokal and Rohlf 1981). Results and Discussion Effort. We conducted over 640 person-hours (number of hours spent in a given survey multiplied by the number of people in a survey) of fieldwork on narrow-headed garter snakes in 11 locations along Oak Creek (Figure 1). We set a total of 50 minnow traps every other week in four locations from June- September in 2000 and 2001, for a total of 1542 trap-nights (number of traps multiplied by the number of nights they were open). In the Grasshopper Point-Midgely Bridge resurvey area, we spent a total of 184 person-hours and 632 trapnights. Snakes. We found a total of 129 narrow-headed garter snakes in seven locations along Oak Creek (see Figure 2). Of the 129 snakes detected, 41 were neonates (SVL = cm), 26 were subadults (SVL = cm), 61 were adults (SVL > 40 cm), and one s age was not determined. Only three individuals were recaptured: one adult in 2000 and two (one adult, one neonate) in This extremely low recapture rate does not permit us to calculate estimated population sizes for either the canyon as a whole nor for individual locations. When the number of snakes detected per unit effort (person-hours or trap-night) by each method was compared among all 12 locations surveyed, walking surveys were the most effective. Walking surveys in all areas detected 61 total snakes, an average of 0.20 snakes per person-hour, i.e., five person-hours of walking were needed to detect one snake. Checking traps (not including snakes encountered inside traps) detected 32 total snakes, an biologists and others who looked for this species over the past decade reported that it was increasingly difficult to find in Oak Creek Canyon SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

4 average of 0.15 snakes per person-hour (6.7 personhours required to detect one snake). Finally, simply being out in the creek not especially looking for snakes was also somewhat effective: a total of 10 snakes, an average of 0.08 snakes per person-hour, were also seen during habitat surveys (i.e person-hours were required to detect one snake when not looking for them). As with many inventory projects, (e.g. Nowak et al. 2002), simply increasing time spent in the field increases the chances of encountering a target species through chance encounters. We detected the most snakes per unit effort at the Call of the Canyon Recreation Area (Figure 2). This area also contained the highest total number of snakes detected (42). There was no clear pattern of distribution and abundance in Oak Creek from higher to lower elevation, except that no snakes were found outside (south of) the canyon. However, most of the narrow-headed garter snakes were found in the upper-middle reaches of the creek (in the locations nearest Call of the Canyon). Traps captured a total of 24 snakes, an average of 0.01 snakes detected per trap-night, or 66.6 trapnights needed to detect one snake. These results are in contrast to those from narrow-headed garter surveys in San Francisco River, New Mexico, in which minnow traps proved far more effective than walking surveys in detecting and recapturing garter snakes (C. Painter, pers. comm.). We suspect this difference may be due to differences in the type of habitat available in the two areas: the San Francisco River study area contains a large number of vertical cracks in lava flows adjacent to the creek in which the snakes hide and bask. Oak Creek does not contain equivalent hiding places for the snakes. We found fewer narrow-headed garter snakes per unit effort of walking surveys in the Midgley Bridge- Grasshopper Point area when compared with other areas. These results are in sharp contrast to those of Rosen and Schwalbe (1988) and Rosen, unpubl. data, who conducted surveys for narrow-headed garter snakes in five of the same areas of Oak Creek as us from Rosen and Schwalbe found more narrowheaded garter snakes per person-hour than we did in three of the four areas where we have comparable data (Rosen and Schwalbe 1988 and unpubl data). Overall, they conducted a total of 222 person-hours of walking surveys (their only method) and found a total of 146 snakes (0.66 snakes per person-hour). They had five recaptures. To compare, we conducted a total of 299 person-hours of walking surveys and found 61 snakes (no recaptures) using this method, or 0.20 snakes per personhour. In the Midgley Bridge- Grasshopper Point area, we conducted a total of 68 personhours of walking surveys and found 8 narrowheaded garter snakes (0.09 snakes/person-hour), and Rosen and Schwalbe found 136 snakes during 182 person-hours of walking surveys, or 0.75 snakes/person-hour. Results from these previous surveys are compared to ours in Figure 3. Potential and Actual Snake Prey. We found a total of eight fish species (445 individuals), one frog species (31 individuals), and unknown crayfish species (21 individuals) in the minnow traps. The species include: brown trout Salmo trutta, Gila sucker Catostomus insignis, speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, lowland leopard frog Rana yavapaiensis, mosquitofish Gambusia affinis affinis, green sunfish Chaenobryttus cyanellus, rock bass Ambloplites rupestris, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui. No species was captured at all four sites. Brown trout and speckled dace were the most wideranging (although captured only within Oak Creek Canyon). Rock bass were the most numerous captured species, but the majority of their numbers came from Midgely Bridge. An interesting pattern of distribution emerges when the native versus non-native status of the potential prey species and their body type are Figure 2. Number of Thamnophis rufipunctatus detected by unit effort (in person-hours) at each of six locations in Oak Creek, Arizona, during by different methods. Methods include walking surveys, checking minnow traps (including snakes caught in traps), and habitat surveys and random encounters ( Other ). The total number of snakes caught per site is given above each set of columns, and does not include one snake seen at Slide Rock State Park. 88 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003

5 examined. Of the total vertebrate species detected in traps, 67% were non-native fish (and there were a few non-native crayfish at Red Rock State Park as well). Perhaps more importantly from a predator perspective, 44% were spiny-rayed fish. These (all non-native) bass and sunfish are compressed laterally rather than ventrally, so they have tall body profiles, and they also have stiff, spiny dorsal rays and/or pectoral fins (Minckley 1973). The other fish and frog species detected are dorsalventrally compressed and do not have bony dorsal and/or pectoral fins, giving them a smooth, flattened appearance. We detected no native fish with spiny rays in Oak Creek. Figure 4 shows the number of fish of each of the three status and body types captured in each location. A clear pattern emerges: there are more native potential prey species higher in Oak Creek Canyon, while none were detected outside the canyon. Equally importantly, the percent of soft-rayed species of both status types declines as one moves south and out of the canyon. Native, soft-rayed species within the canyon become replaced by non-native spiny fishes as one moves from north to south in Oak Creek (also observed by Rosen and Schwalbe, 1988). This trend closely parallels narrow-headed garter snake abundance within our survey areas of Oak Creek. We feel that the spiny nature of the non-native fish species widespread lower in Oak Creek may make them unsuitable as narrow-headed garter snake prey. Snakes occasionally choke to death while eating spiny food, so there may be an innate or learned tendency to avoid such prey items (pers. obs.). Another reason that non-native fishes may be unsuitable as prey items for narrow-headed garter snakes may be their preferred location in the water column. De Quieroz (2002) found that narrow-headed garter snakes predominately forage by crawling on the substrate bottom and striking at prey underwater (as compared to other garter snakes which only use these behaviors in deep water). We have observed that native suckers are predominately bottomdwellers, while non-natives such as bass appear to spend more active time higher in the water column. The predatory behavior of non-native fish as well as their unsuitability as food items may also have influenced any declines in garter snake populations within Oak Creek, especially in the Midgley Bridge area and reaches south of the canyon. Rosen and Schwalbe (1988, 2002) have shown that non-native fish species such as small-and large-mouth bass are major predators on garter snakes elsewhere in the state. During surveys between 1983 and 1988 across the range of narrow-headed garter snakes in Arizona, they tended to not find this snake species in locations that contained non-native fish species (Rosen and Schwalbe 2002). In addition to this negative association with exotic fishes, they also showed a significant positive association with native fishes. They pointed out that since 1973 the proportion of non-native fish species has increased in many historic T. rufipunctatus locations across the state, while native fish species have declined. Twelve percent of the narrow-headed garter snakes we found had bite marks or other scars on their bodies (however, we do not know exactly how these injuries were caused), compared to 41% of the snakes Rosen and Schwalbe (1988) found during their surveys. Garter snakes tended to be trapped more often in traps that caught fish and frogs rather than those that did not: at Forest Houses Resort, four of seven snake captures occurred in traps that also caught fish; at Midgely Bridge nine of 12 snake captures occurred in traps that caught fish and/or frogs; and at Call of the Canyon four of five snakes were found captured in traps that caught fish. At both Forest Houses Resort and Midgely Bridge, we caught snakes that were sitting on top of traps with fish (speckled dace or brown trout) captured in them. Part II continued next month Figure 3. Number of Thamnophis rufipunctatus detected per person-hour of walking surveys in four areas of Oak Creek, Arizona. Comparison by Nowak and Santana Bendix (this report, ) and Rosen and Schwalbe (1988 and unpubl. data). Methods between the two studies are assumed to be comparable. Total number of snakes found at each location is given in each column SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

6 N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y N O T E S Figure 1. Male Sceloporus magister in act of swallowing an immature of the same species. (Photo by Dean Koenig, Starizona) Sceloporus magister at Tohono Chul Park: Diet, Cannibalism, and Predation Edward O. Moll, Adjunct Professor, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Univ. of Arizona Dean Koenig, Starizona, 5201 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, AZ Tohono Chul Park, on Tucson s northwest side, is an excellent site to observe Sceloporus magister, the Desert spiny lizard, up close and personal. Not only is the species common there, but regular encounters with people have made them decidedly unwary. Their density is greatest around the riparian areas where where trees receive regular watering and standing or flowing water is always present. Although they tend to be arboreal over much of their range (Parker and Pianka, 1973), at Tohono Chul they are commonly seen on the ground. Visitors particularly enjoy watching the potbellied, bright-colored males doing two-legged pushups and swaggering in their characteristic bowlegged fashion across the walkways. Due to the lack of wariness by the lizards and other animals in the Park, it is often possible to observe natural history events that are rarely seen in wilder locales. The junior author makes regular trips to Tohono Chul to photograph the wildlife and plants. Twice this spring, he had the opportunity to witness and photograph two such little-seen events concerning Desert spiny lizards, cannibalism and predation (Figures 1, 2). On April 16, 2003 at 0830h, he encountered an adult male Desert spiny lizard swallowing a relatively large immature of the same species (Figure 1). The immature (as evident in the photo) was rather large. However, by the time the large male moved away into the vegetation, it had mostly swallowed the body of the immature. Feeding on other species of lizards and cannibalism have been reported previously in Sceloporus magister but are seemingly rare events. Desert spiny lizards at Tohono Chul seem to be chiefly insectivorous. We commonly observe them feeding along the walkways and in the mesquite trees, taking ants, caterpillars, and beetles. On June 1, 2003, the senior author collected and examined six fecal pellets that varied in size from 2.75 x 0.8 cm to 1.65 x 0.6 cm in length and width. Each had a cap of uric acid that varied from 1.65 to 0.67 cm in length. Three of the pellets contained cicada and ant parts, one contained beetle and ant parts, one beetle parts alone, and one ant parts alone. Several major food studies have been conducted on this species (Table 1). In the five studies listed, 271 Sceloporus magister stomachs were examined. Insects, particularly ants, were the most common food items in each study. Out of the 271 stomachs, only four contained vertebrates. One was not identified, two were whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus sp.) and one was a 90 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003

7 hatchling Sceloporus magister (the only other example of cannibalism in the wild that has been reported in this species). An additional report of lizard predation by S. magister is Perkins et al. (1997) who found bones of Xantusia vigilis in the feces of a yearling female. The rarity of lizards in these diet studies suggest that they are an atypical food item. Cannibalism appears to be even more rare. Smith and Fritts (1969) reported a case of cannibalism in Sceloporus chrysostictus but concluded this was unusal behavior in the genus. They could find only two other reports of cannibalism in the genus Sceloporus. In a review of intraspecific predation in reptiles and amphibians, Polis and Myers (1985) reported instances of cannibalism in eight species of Sceloporus, but it appeared to be a relatively rare event in all cases. They concluded that most cases of cannibalism in reptiles occurred opportunistically as a by-product of normal predatory behavior. Region of Study # Major Food Items Vertebrates Citation So. Utah 12 Ants, Caterpillars, Beetles 1 Lizard Knowlton & Thomas 1934 So. Utah 49 Ants 0 Knowlton & Nye, 1946 Nevada 21 Beetles, Ants 1 Lizard S. magister Tanner and Krogh, 1973 SW U.S., Sonora 123 Ants and Beetles 1? Parker and Pianka, 1973 Colorado River, Arizona tail lashing forcing the larger to release it. This seemed to complete the engagement and the two commenced to crab 66 Ants and Beetles 1 Lizard Vitt and Ohmart, walk in opposing directions. It is conceivable that a similar confrontation could have taken place with the lizards involved in the cannibalism event. However, in this scenario the smaller was unable to force the larger to release it. The feeding reflex may have then taken over and the smaller was swallowed. The predation event involving the Roadrunner (Figure 2) was photographed on May 9, The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a known lizard predator (Kaufman 2000) and it is not surprising to find it feeding on Desert spiny lizards at Tohono Chul. Ruthven (1907) and Vitt and Ohmart (1974) suggested Roadrunners as likely predators of S. magister. This photograph confirms their suspicions. Table 1. Food studies based on stomach contents of Sceloporus magister. Major food items are based on frequency of occurrence in stomachs examined. The symbol # indicates the number of stomachs examined in each study. Figure 2. Greater Roadrunner feeding on a Sceloporus magister. (Photo by Dean Koenig, Starizona). Another possibility is that the cannibalism event photographed here may have started as territorial defense but ended up as predation. For example, a colleague observed the following at the Park. On June 1, 2003 at 0900, two male S. magister, with a female nearby, began doing pushups. One was moderately larger than the other. Both turned sideways and began crab-walking toward the other. Their bodies appeared inflated and the dewlap area of their throats seemed expanded. As they came side to side, the lizards continued to do pushups and began to lash each other with their tails. The larger then grabbed the head of the smaller in its mouth. The smaller frantically increased the tempo of its Literature cited: Kaufman, K Greater Roadrunner. Pp in S.J. Phillips and P. Wenworth Comus, eds. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert. Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum Press, Tucson. Knowlton, G.F. and W.L. Thomas Notes on some insectivorous Utah lizards. Utah Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett. XI: Knowlton, G.F. and W.P. Nye Lizards feeding on ants in Utah. J Econ. Entomology 39: 546. Parker, W.S. and E.R. Pianka Notes on the ecology of the Iguanid lizard, Sceloporus magister. Herpetologica 29: Perkins, M., S.C. Adolph, S. Granite, and W. Hein Xantusia vigilis (Desert Night Lizard) and Sceloporus magister (Desert Spiny Lizard). Predation and Diet. Natural History Notes. Herpetol. Rev. 28: 89. Polis, G.A., and C.A. Myers A survey of intraspecific predation among reptiles. J. Herp. 19: Ruthven, A.G A collection of reptiles and amphibians from southern New Mexico and Arizona. Bull. American Mus. Natur. Hist. XXIII: Smith, H.M., and T.H. Fritts Cannibalism in the lizard, Sceloporus c hrysostictus. J. Herp. 3: Tanner, W. and J.E. Krogh Ecology of Sceloporus magister at the Nevada test site, Nye County, Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist 33: Vitt, L.J. and R.D. Ohmart Reproduction and ecology of a Colorado River population of Sceloporus magister (Sauria: Iguanidae). Herpetologica 30: SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

8 Sixth Jarchow Conservation Award Presented to Philip C. Rosen September 16, 2003 CITATION The Jarchow Conservation Award is given to individuals or organizations by the Tucson Herpetological Society in recognition of their service to the conservation of the reptiles and amphibians of the deserts of North America. Established in 1992, the award is named for veterinarian James L. Jarchow of Tucson and consists of an engraved plaque, a citation, an Honorary Life Membership in the Tucson Herpetological Society, and a check for $500. The first award was given to Dr. Jarchow in 1992, then Roger Repp 1994, Cecil R. Schwalbe 1997, David L. Hardy, Sr. 1999, and Dennis Caldwell For the sixth presentation of the Jarchow Conservation Award, the Tucson Herpetological Society Board of Directors unanimously approved the selection committee s recommendation of Philip C. Rosen. Because of his credibility as a scientist, his passionate concern for declining species and ecosystems, his ability to explain complex concepts to broad audiences in print and in person, and his willingness to challenge complacency and flawed dogma, Phil Rosen has become a force for conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert region of the United States and Mexico. Phil s knowledge and opinions are sought regularly at many levels by interested individuals; neighborhood associations; municipal, county, state, and federal agencies; other academicians; nongovernmental organizations; and local and national media. A partial list includes the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Air Force, Arizona and New Mexico Game and Fish Departments, Pima County, Marana Town Government, scientists from multiple universities, Tohono O Odham Nation, The Nature Conservancy, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Malpai Borderlands Group, Center for Biological Diversity, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Citizen, National Wildlife Magazine, Nature Conservancy Magazine, and KUAT Public Television. Phil first developed his lifelong obsession with natural history and herpetology in the late 1960 s along the Appalachian ridge on family vacations and at the American Museum s Kalbfleisch Field Station on Long Island, where his father mentored undergraduate researchers in ichthyology. He settled on a career in herpetology in the early 1970 s while exploring the forests, marshes, and cliffs above the Hudson River. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan in 1980, majoring in biology. He was awarded a Master of Science degree in zoology from Arizona State University in 1987; for his thesis he studied ecological and demographic variation among populations of the Sonoran mud turtle. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Arizona in 2000, with a major in ecology and evolutionary biology and a minor in ecological physiology. His dissertation, entitled A Monitoring Study of Vertebrate Community Ecology in the Northern Sonoran Desert, Arizona, fulfilled a lifelong dream to be part of a community ecology study team. While working on his master s thesis, Phil was also employed as a contract biologist by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. His excellent studies on the status of the Mexican and narrow-headed garter snakes in Arizona which fulfilled another dream of exploring the subtropical diversity of garter snakes, a group he knew well in Michigan changed that agency s expectations for field surveys; Phil s attention to detail and quantification of all relevant vertebrates in his field notes set the standard for future reports. Also during this time, Phil collaborated with Cecil Schwalbe, Shawn Sartorius, Phil Fernandez, Dennis Caldwell, and others to study the status of our native leopard frogs. Their ongoing research on the effects of introduced predators (bullfrogs, fishes, and crayfish) and disease have helped us better understand the processes affecting our native species. Methods to control or eliminate bullfrogs and non-native fishes developed on Phil s projects are being used elsewhere in the West. His pioneering collaborative work on chytridiomycosis in Arizona ranid frogs helped put that disease in perspective in the Southwest. Phil s dissertation research, conducted at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and with the guidance of C. H. Lowe, synthesized more than a decade of data relating the population trends of small mammals, lizards, and snakes; the effects of predation (by both endotherms and ectotherms); and climate, revealing predation effects that would have been missed with less thorough data collection and analysis. While at Organ Pipe, Phil worked on a variety of other projects, including the status and natural history of U.S. populations of the Organ Pipe shovel-nosed snake and leaf-nosed snakes, the ecology of the Mexican rosy boa and Ajo Mountain whipsnake, and the status and conservation of the Río Sonoyta mud turtle. Almost everyone who spends time in the field with Phil Rosen comments on his intensity and attention to detail. He is a keen observer and writes copious, lucid field notes. Nothing deters him from 92 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003

9 getting the information onto paper, not even television producers trying to hurry him to the shoot. This focus and determination to record what he has seen and his ability to synthesize information separates Phil from the Rosen-wannabes. Phil is currently a research scientist at the University of Arizona in the Wildlife and Fisheries Science Program in the School of Renewable Natural Resources. He has mentored graduate and undergraduate students, recently directing undergraduate interns on conservation-related research. Between 1993 and 2003 he received more than $700,000 in research grants as principal or coprincipal investigator, almost all of that for research on imperiled amphibians and reptiles or on causes of their declines. Clearly, his is a voice being heard by those funding conservation research. Phil Rosen has become an important advisor to Pima County and its Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, providing and synthesizing data on the status of several species and writing plans for aquatic vertebrate conservation in Eastern Pima County and for a natural area near downtown Tucson. His thoughtful comments to news reporters and his editorials and letters to the editors in Arizona newspapers have helped educate the public about the complexities of vertebrate conservation and offered reasoned plans to conserve native species. His recent appointment by the Fish and Wildlife Service to the Chiricahua Leopard Frog Recovery Team is further indication of his standing in the conservation community. It is with great pleasure that the Tucson Herpetological Society bestows the sixth Jarchow Conservation Award to Philip C. Rosen. We anticipate that Phil will continue to educate, inspire, and lead us in our efforts to understand and conserve our natural world. B O A R D M E E T I N G S Y N O P S I S 30 September 2003 Robert L. Bezy, Secretary Directors Present: Roy Averill-Murray, Bob Bezy, Jillian Cowles, Taylor Edwards, Cristina Jones, Ed Moll, Eric Stitt, Don Swann, Marty Tuegel. Directors Absent: Hans Koenig. Members Present: Young Cage, Dennis Caldwell, Bill Savary Treasurer s Report -Tuegel Beginning Balance $11, Deposits Expenses Ending Balance $11, Speakers Bureau $ 1, Jarchow Award 0.00 FTHL Fund C.H.Lowe Research Fund 3, General Fund $6, CRHSDIII (CD) $6, Itemized Deposits: Jarchow Award $327.00, Membership $215.00, T- Shirts/Mugs $ Itemized Expenses: Bank Charge $4.29, Jarchow Award $552.71, Late Fee $7.42, Newsletter $163.89, Postage , Committee Reports Web Page - Savary. The Board is most grateful for the many years of outstanding service and expertise that Bill Savary has given to the development of the THS web site. Erik Enderson will be assuming this responsibility. Speakers Bureau - Edwards and Moll. Ed is back in the saddle and has a large number of presentations scheduled for October September - Taylor Edwards, Eric Stitt, Matt Kaplan, Bill Savary, Abe and Norma Lackow. Tucson Reptile Show. The THS table was visited by a large number of people, particularly teachers and children. Sonoran Herpetologist -Swann. The journal will use the scientific and English names listed in the Crother 1999 [2000] checklist and addendum. The journal is approaching its target of having the issue finalized one month in advance. Program - Roy Averill-Murray. The lineup of speakers includes: 21 Oct. - Justin Congdon. Turtle demographics. 18 Nov. - Emily Taylor. 16 Dec. - Dave Prival Old Business Flat-tailed Horned Lizard - Edwards for Repp. The board approved a motion for the THS to be the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit pursuing the listing of the species as endangered by the USF&W (5 yes; R. Averill-Murray, Swann, and Tuegel abstaining). Roger Repp has generously agreed to be the THS point person on this matter. C. H. Lowe Research Fund - Edwards. Proposals are due on 1 November and submissions are being solicited. PARC - Roy Averill-Murray. The application period for the position of States Co-ordinator for PARC is closed and interviews will be scheduled soon. A draft of the desert southwest habitat guidelines is due in mid October. Sonoran Herpetologist Collected Papers - Stitt. The demand for hard copies and CD roms of the publication will be gauged by an audience poll at the next general meeting. The cost for hard copies is estimated at ca $20.00 per copy, while the cost for CD roms is uncertain at this time. Stitt will also investigate the feasibility of posting all or sections thereof on the website. Jarchow Award - Edwards. The ceremony went very well and the Board is grateful for the outstanding presentations by Cecil Schwalbe and Dennis Caldwell and for the auction of Dick Martin s library conducted by Eric Stitt and Marty Tuegel. New Business Nominations - Jones. The board approved the slate of candidate presented by the nominations committee (Craig Ivanyi, Cristina Jones, Don Swann). THS Historian - Savary. The board discussed the idea of establishing a position and procedures to document unfolding the history of the Society. City of Tucson Snake Removal - Edwards. City of Tucson Snake Removal - Edwards. The board recommendations include the policy the THS helped formulate for Drexel Heights and making copies of brochures and coloring pages available for distribution. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

10 A N N O U N C E M E N T S Agencies Plan to Reestablish Arizona Population of Tarahumara Frogs After a 20-year absence, Arizona s native Tarahumara frog may be returning to isolated bedrock plunge pools deep within canyons in a couple of remote mountain ranges near the U.S. Mexico border. A team of federal, state, Mexican, University of Arizona, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum biologists have identified two possible sites to reestablish Tarahumara frogs Big Casa Blanca Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains and Sycamore Canyon in the Pajarito Mountains, both in the Coronado National Forest in Santa Cruz County. Read the entire USFWS press release at the web link belowhttp://arizonaes.fws.gov/documents/documentsbyspecies/ TarahumaraFrog/T-frog%20draft%20EA%20News%20Release%20ROapproved.pdf Sonoran Herpetologist Announcement Policy Sonoran Herpetologist announcements are a free service of the Tucson Herpetological Society for its members. Items or events to be announced must fall within at least one of these three categories: 1. Conservation of native wildlife or wildlife habitat 2. Education about native wildlife or wildlife habitat 3. Research of native wildlife or wildlife habitat Sonoran Herpetologist announcement items or events must not promote: - the destruction of native wildlife or habitat; - the commercialization (selling and/or trading) of wildlife, dead or alive. Decisions about announcement qualification are made by the boardappointed editorial committee of the Sonoran Herpetologist. All inquiries should be directed through the editor. Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History Notes The Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to a regular feature in the Sonoran Herpetologist, Natural History Notes of southwestern herps. Similar to Life History Notes in Herpetological Review, these can include information such as size, behavior, diet, predation, community structure or other interesting observations. Please submit your noteworthy observations to Dale Turner (dturner@theriver.com), editor for this section. Submissions should be brief, typed double-spaced, and in electronic form if possible. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. Arizona Herpetological Association Meetings 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 PM At The Phoenix Zoo, Auditorium, 455 North Galvin Pkwy (between McDowell and Van -Buren) For Information call (408) M E M B E R S H I P Membership Information Individual $20 Sustainng $30 Family $25 Contributing $50 Student $14 Life $500 To receive a membership form and recent issue of Sonoran Herpetologist call (520) or write: Tucson Herpetological Society P. O. Box 709 Tucson AZ Time to Renew Your THS Membership? I hope this is a helpful reminder to those of you whose membership renewal is due this month. Please call or with corrections and errors or dhardysr@theriver.com Dave Hardy Sr. Membership Secretary Due in October: Danny & Sharon Brower Sandra McPherson Diana & David Freshwater Danny Mello Hans Koenig Douglas & Laurie Moore Travis LaDuc Priscilla Titus, Eric Stanford & Jon Titus Hugh & Rebecca McCrystal Dale Turner & Julia Fonseca Membership Update As of 2 October 2003 Contributing Brooke Gebow Tucson Sustaining Members none New Members Kevin Baker Tucson Joshua Capps Tucson Charles J. Cole & Carol Townsend Tucson Jarchow Conservation Award none Speakers Bureau none Horned Lizard Fund none Charles H. Lowe Herpetological Research Fund none 94 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003

11 Sonoran Herpetologist is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright The contents of Sonoran Herpetologist may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided the material is reproduced without change and with appropriate credit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. A complete set of back issues are available in the Special Collections area of the University of Arizona library. They are accompanied by a copy of The Collected Papers of the Tucson Herpetological Society, Editor Erik Enderson, eenderson@cox.net Associate Editors Dale Turner, dturner@theriver.com Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Art Editor Dennis Caldwell djcaldw111@aol.com Distribution Fred Wilson, fredtj@comcast.net Trevor Hare, trevor@skyislandalliance.org Information for Contributors Authors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the Editor, either via using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Society s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and Herpetological Review, publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact Erik Enderson at eenderson@cox.net Deadline for SonHerp 16 (11) November 1 The Tucson Herpetological Society is dedicated to conservation, education, and research concerning the amphibians and reptiles of Arizona and Mexico. Tucson Herpetological Society is a registered non-profit organization. Officers President Taylor Edwards, tayache@ag.arizona.edu Vice President Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Secretary Bob Bezy, bezyr@theriver.com Treasurer Marty Tuegel, mtuegel@yahoo.com Directors Roy Averill-Murray, averill_murray@ .msn.com Jillian Cowles, jillian@mindspring.com Eric Stitt, ecstitt@earthlink.net Cristina Jones, cajones@u.arizona.edu Hans Koenig, hfkoenig@comcast.net Ed Moll, e.o.moll@att.net Past President Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Society Activities Monthly Members Meeting Roy Averill-Murray, Program Chairperson 3rd Tuesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday October 28, 7:00pm Arizona Game and Fish Department Office 555 North Greasewood Road Speakers Bureau (Scheduled presentations) Taylor Edwards, Director Ed Moll, Director Conservation Committee Director Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner Jarchow Conservation Award Taylor Edwards, Chairperson Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist Living with Rattlesnakes Living with Gila monsters THS Herp Coloring Book THS Collected Papers, (out of print) THS Internet World Wide Webpage Erik Enderson eenderson@cox.net For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10)

12 Your membership has expired. This is your only reminder. Please renew! October 2003, Volume 16, Number 10 FEATURE ARTICLE 86 Distribution, Ecology, and Management Recommendations for the Narrow-headed Garter Snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) in Oak Creek, Arizona- part I, by Erika M. Nowak and Manuel A. Santana-Bendix NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 91 Sceloporus magister at Tohono Chul Park: Diet, Cannibalism, and Predation, Edward O. Moll and Dean Koenig 96 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (10) 2003